Pocket pinochle calculator



March 14, 1950 N. w. MuTcH POCKET PINOCHLE CALCULATOR Filed April 20, 1948 24 INVEN TOR.

@mfc/721 #Mm/m17 azarmfys Patented Mar. 14, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE POCKET PINOCHLE CALCULATOR Nina W. Mutch, Portland, Oreg.

Application April 2o, 194s, serial No. 22,137 1 Claim. (Cl. zes-127) The present invention relates to improvements in pocket pinochle calculators and has for an object the provision of a device of this character which is small and compact so that it may be readily carried about in the pocket of the user.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved device of this kind in which the scores for the game of pinochle can be accurately kept without the use of paper and pencil, especially when the game is being played while traveling or outdoors where writing is inconvenient or impossible.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved pinochle calculator' by the use of which the irksorne task of writing down each score as it is made and the totaling of each players score with its attendant chances of error are eliminated.

The present invention aims to provide an improved calculator of this character which consists of relatively few parts, is economical to manufacture and is of sturdy construction.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention will be hereinafter more fully described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

In the drawings, in which the same parts are denoted by the same reference numerals throughout the several views,

Figure l is a perspective view of a pocket pinochle calculator constructed inv accordance with the present invention,

Figure 2 .is a top plan view of the same,

Figure 3 is a bottoni plan view of the same with the bottom plate partly broken away,

Figure 4 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view on the line 4 4 of Figure 2,

Figure 5 is a transverse vertical sectional View on the line 5-5 of Figure and Figure 6 is a transverse vertical sectional View on the line 6-5 of Figure 2.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, ill indicates a bottom plate or piece which is substantially rectangular in shape and has adjacent each end and intermediate its sides an upstanding tongue Il. A top plate or piece I2 of substantially the same size and shape as the bottom plate Ifl is supported by the bottom plate. The top plate I2 has at each end an enlarged T- shaped head I3 which has a depth greater than the remaining portion of the top plate I2. Each head I3 of the top plate I2 has at its lower edge a recess I4 which receives the corresponding tongue II of the bottom plate III and with which it substantially corresponds in size and shape.

The main body portion of the top plate I2 is of less thickness than that of its heads I3 so that the under surface I5 of the top plate I2 is spaced upwardly from the upper surface of the bottom plate Ill to provide a space IS therebetween. The top plate I2 has along each of its side edge portions a series of spaced apart cutaway portions which form a series of spaced apart recesses Il. The formation of these recesses Il provides a series of intervening arms I3 along each side edge of the top plate I2. The under surface of each of these arms IS is spaced upwardly from the upper surface of the bottom plate lll and is inclined from the lower outer edge of the arm inwardly and downwardly, as indicated at I9, towards the center of the top plate I2.

At the inner end of each inclined lower sur-- face I9 each arm I8 of the heads I3 has a vertically extending wall 2i). In the space along each side edge between the upper surface of the bottom plate I0 and the lower inclined surface I9 of the arms I8 a side rail 2l is located.

As shown in Figure 6, each of the side rails 2l has its lower surface 22 substantially flat so as to accommodate itself to the upper flat surface of the bottom plate In and the upper surface 23 of each rail is inclined inwardly and downwardly to correspond to the lower surface IG of the arms I8. The inner surface 24 of each rail is substan tially vertical and engages the wall 2l) of each head I3 in order to limit the inward movement of the rail 2|.

A flat steel spring 25 is attached by a small wire nail 26 to the under surface I5 of the top plate I2 opposite to each of the recesses I1. Each spring 25 is so connected to the top plate l2 that the main body portion of the spring engages the under surface I5 of the top plate I2 and the opposite free ends 2l of the spring 25 extend beyond the surface I5 into the oppositely disposed recesses I'I. Each of the recesses I1 receives a counter or marker 28 and the arms IB and the markers 28 are apertured for the reception of a pin 29 which provides a pivot for the swinging of the markers 28.

As shown in Figure 6, each of the markers 28 has a lower inwardly and downwardly inclined surface 30 which rests upon the upper surface 23 of the side rail 2l when the markers28 are in their lower inoperative position. The inner end of each marker 28 has a cam surface 3l and the opposite outer end of each marker extends outwardly beyond the bottom plate Ill, the arms I8 and the side rail 2| to provide a finger engaging portion 32. Various numerals, such as, 10, 20, 100

and 500, as indicated at 33, are inscribed on the upper surfaces 34 of the markers 28.

Each recess has an inner vertical wall 35 against which the upper surface 34 of the marker 28 engages to limit its upward movement. Each marker 28 has side faces 36 and 3l which engage side faces 38 and 39, respectively, of the arms I8 to restrain the markers from lateral movement within the recesses I 7.

To lprevent accidental lateral movement of the springs 25 the top plate i2 has ribs 45 extending downwardly into the space IE between each two adjacent springs 25 to engage the side edges of the springs.

All of the parts of the device may be made of hard wood except the spring 25, nails 26 andkpins 29. In this event the various wooden members may be glued together. If desired, the various parts may be made of aluminum or other metal.

In the use of the calculator, each player in a gaine of pinochle is provided with one of the devices. Each time a player makes a score during the game he raises the proper marker 28 by placing his ringer under the iinger piece 32 swinging the marker upwardly on its pivot 20 so that the cam surface 3l of the marker engages the corresponding free end 2l of its spring 25 and deflects this end 2'! downwardly as indicated at the right ci Figure 6. Due 'to the inherent resiliency of the steel spring 25, its deected end i.

portion 2i will tend to return to its original position and will thereby exert pressure upon the raised marker 23 so as to frictionally hold the raised marker in its vertical position. The raised marker accordingly cannot be accidentally moved downwardly about their pivot 29 until the lower surface 5i@ of each marker .engages the upper sur- `iace 23 of the side rail 2| which will limit the downward movement of the marker. The accidental. upward movement of the markers 28 is prevented by the engagement of the free end 2T of the spring 2E with the lower surface 3U of the as shown at the left of Figure 6.

It is obvious that various changes and modications may be made in the details of construction and design of the above specically described embodiment of this invention without departing from the spirit thereof, such changes and modifications being restricted only by the scope of the following claim.

What I claim is:

An improved ypinochle calculator comprising a bottom plate, a top plate having an enlarged T- shaped head at each end engaging the bottom plate for holding the intermediate portion of the top plate spaced from the bottom plate, the top plate having along each side edge a series of spaced recesses arranged in pairs and having arms disposed between said recesses, the arms being spaced from the bottom plate, a side rail disposed between the bottom plate and each series of recesses in the top plate, a marker received by each recess, a pivot pin extending through each marker and arm along each side edge of the top plate, a series of flat springs supported by the under portion of the top plate in the space between the top and bottom lplates, each spring secured to said top plate proximate the center thereof having its opposite ends extending into the opposite adjacent respective recess of a pair oi' the recesses of the top plate yand disposed in the path of movement of the respective marker, each marker having a cam surface for engagement with the extended end of its spring for placing the spring under tension when the marker is in its indicating position, said side rails form the bottom of the recesses for limiting the movenient of the markers to their non-indicating positions, and ribs supported by the top plate for engaging the springs to maintain them against lateral movement.

NINA W. MUTCH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 280,375 Horton July 3, 1883 478,694 Foster July 12, 1892 481,947 I-Iillard Sept. 6, 1892 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 10,973 Great Britain May 25, 1899 107,964 Germany Jan. 22, 1900 

